WILEF Certification emphasizes the leadership roles achieved by equity women partners, rather than the policies or practices of the firm or the overall number or percentage of women in the partnership. Law firms with 300 or more practicing lawyers in the United States are eligible for the 2015 WILEF Gold Standard Certification if they successfully demonstrate that women represent a meaningful percentage of their equity partners, of their highest leadership positions, of their governance and compensation committees, and of their most highly compensated partners. For 2015 WILEF Certification, a meaningful percentage means that the number of women equity partners satisfies four or more of the following criteria:

• Women account for at least 20% of equity partners or alternatively, 33% or more of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past twelve months.

• Women make up at least 20% of the firm's primary governance committee.

• Woman represent 20% or more of the firm's compensation committee.

• Women make up at least 25% of practice group leaders or department heads.

• Women represent at least 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners.

The WILEF 2015 Gold Standard Certification application will be available on March 3, 2015. Requests for the application and questions should be made to WILEF’s Co-Founder and National Chair, Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi via email at elizabethtursi@aol.com